Göran Hägglund
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Image:Göran Hägglund.jpg Bo Göran Hägglund (born January 27, 1959, Degerfors, Värmland) is a Swedish politician and the current leader of the Christian Democrats of Sweden (Swedish: Kristdemokraterna). He was elected Party Leader on April 3, 2004, succeeding Alf Svensson. Since 6 October 2006 he is also the Minister of Social Affairs in Sweden.
Hägglund grew up in a family in Degerfors in central Sweden, but moved to Jönköping, a Christian Democratic stronghold, in 1978. He started his political career in the Christian Democratic youth organisation. From 1978 he was employed by the party, first as ombudsman for the local Christian Democratic Youth, and from 1981 for the regional party branch. From 1982 to 1986 he was also a member of the Municipal Council in Jönköping.
Following the 1985 elections, he started to work as parliamentary secretary for the Christian Democrats. In 1988 he temporarily left politics to start working for an insurance company. In the parliamentary elections of 1991 he was elected a Member of Parliament.
Hägglund was generally considered to be long-time party leader Alf Svensson's personal favourite as a successor. However, when Svensson announced his plans to step down, two other candidates, Maria Larsson and Mats Odell, had the support of a bigger number of regional party organisations. Not even Hägglund's own Jönköping district stood behind him. At the end, however, all Hägglund's possible contenders withdrew from the race, and his election as party leader on April 3, 2004 was unanimous.
In the summer of 2006 he struck a blow for a more sincere and honest society, coining the expression "one half compulsory, the rest forbidden" warning for a society where everything is governed by laws and rules.
Hägglund grew up in the Pentecostal movement, but is now a member of the Church of Sweden. He is married with two children.
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| Preceded by: Alf Svensson | Leader of the Swedish Christian Democrats 2004— | Succeeded by: Incumbent |
| Preceded by: Berit Andnor | Swedish Minister for Social Affairs 2006— | Succeeded by: Incumbent |
| Cabinet of Fredrik Reinfeldt |
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| Fredrik Reinfeldt (Prime Minister) • Cecilia Malmström (EU Affairs) • Beatrice Ask (Justice) • Tobias Billström (Migration and Asylum Policy) • Carl Bildt (Foreign Affairs) • Sten Tolgfors (Foreign Trade) • Gunilla Carlsson (International Development Cooperation) • Mikael Odenberg (Defence) • Göran Hägglund (Social Affairs) • Maria Larsson (Public Health and Social Services) • Cristina Husmark Pehrsson (Social Security) • Anders Borg (Finance) • Mats Odell (Local Government and Financial Markets) • Lars Leijonborg (Education and Science) • Jan Björklund (Schools) • Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth (Culture) • Eskil Erlandsson (Agriculture) • Andreas Carlgren (Environment) • Maud Olofsson (Industry and Trade, Vice Prime Minister) • Åsa Torstensson (Infrastructure) • Sven Otto Littorin (Employment) • Nyamko Sabuni (Integration and Gender Equality) |
